Alaska state laws form one of the less complex state bodies of law. Because Alaska is a newer state, and was relatively unpopulated until recently, Alaska law does not have the dense statutes or large amount of court interpretation that older states have.

Alaska is considered a low-tax, business friendly state. Its chief industries are fishing and energy. It has a small but active legal community. Virtually all of its large law firms are in Anchorage; some of those have branch offices in Juneau and Fairbanks.

You should know:

1. Because of the importance of the industries to the state, Alaska has a well-developed body of energy and fisheries law.

2. While Alaska has only been a state since 1959, it did carry over territorial law in its code from before that. The oldest Alaska law firm dates from 1909.

3. Because of the large Alaskan Inuit population, many laws in Alaska deal with Native Americans, and there are many Alaska lawyers who specialize in the practice.

4). Alaska is the only state without a law school.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know your Alaska law

It's easy to find information about law in Alaska on the Internet.

I recommend: If you are interested in Alaska court decisions, the Alaska Supreme Court provides an amazing archive of past cases free of charge through Westlaw. If it's Alaska state law you are looking for, the Alaska Legislature provides the codes from 1993 to the present. In addition, the Alaska State Court Law Library provides a listing of all the free resources for Alaska law on its website.

Learn where to go for advice on Alaska law

Alaska attorneys and legal groups offer numerous ways to understand and interpret Alaska law.

I recommend: The Alaska Legal Services Corporation is a listing of helpful links and advice for those seeking to wade through Alaska Law. Another good place to go is the website of the Alaska Paralegal Services and Self-Help Legal Center, which provides help with legal documentation preparation and provides other advice and support for persons interested in interpreting Alaska state laws without hiring an Alaska lawyer.

Know how to find Alaska law firms

If you have legal issues in Alaska, you should know where to go to find lawyers in Alaska.

I recommend: The Alaska State Bar has an Alaska lawyer referral service that provides an easy way of finding Alaska lawyers for a variety of topics. Lawyers.com also provides an extensive listing of Alaskan lawyers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember that if you have a complicated legal issue in Alaska, it is best to hire an Alaska law firm.
• •  If you are hiring an Alaska lawyer or Alaska law firm from out of state, Anchorage is the best place to start looking.